Real Madrid were held 0-0 by Valencia yesterday - opening the door for Barcelona to get back into the title race.

Cristiano Ronaldo came within inches of opening the scoring in the opening 10 minutes as he struck the inside of the post, but at the other end Ricardo Costa should also have done better when he headed against the upright with the goal at his mercy.

Tino Costa also hit the woodwork with a thunderous strike from fully 30 yards that rattled the crossbar 10 minutes after the break, but Valencia were thankful for Vicente Guaita as he made fine saves from Angel Di Maria and Karim Benzema to keep the scoreline blank.

The draw means Barcelona are just four points behind Madrid with seven games to go, including El Clasico at the Nou Camp later this month